Folding box

ABSTRACT

A packing made of cardboard or of cardboard laminate, for receiving ampoules ( 2 ), phials or other elongated objects, has a cuboid packing body ( 6 ) configured as a folding box. The packing body contains, for filling with the pack products ( 2 ), a planar lid ( 3 ), which can be swung out about a side edge ( 12 ) and which extends over an entire of the base area of the packing body and can be permanently sealed after the filling. For the removal of the objects ( 2 ), the packing body has a hinged lid ( 4 ), which is delimited by a predetermined tear line ( 18, 19 ), can be resealed after the initial opening, is cuboid in configuration, and which can be swung out about an articulated fold ( 11 ) disposed in the lid ( 3 ).

The invention relates to a packing according to the preamble to claim 1 and to a method for producing and filling the packing.

Numerous packings are already in use. Known packings are, for example, cuboid folding boxes, which have a swing-out, planar lid. In the case of such boxes, practice has shown that the handling thereof for specific pack products can be difficult. This applies, in particular, to the handling of elongated objects, such as, for example, phials or ampoules for, in particular, pharmaceutical products on an automated packaging line. A particularly negative consequence is that the pack products must both be filled, and also removed again, upon subsequent use, from the same side.

An object of the present invention is therefore to avoid the drawbacks of the prior art, in particular to provide a packing and a method of the type stated in the introduction which is distinguished by improved handling. The packing should, in particular, allow a rational filling and, at the same time, a user-friendly removal of pack products from the packing, combined with good reclosability. In this context, it should be suitable, in particular, for receiving elongated objects. In addition, the packing should be able to be easily produced and the production should require as few working steps as possible.

This object is achieved with a packing which exhibits the features defined in claim 1. The thus configured packing is distinguished by two closable openings, one serving for the filling and the other for the removal of pack products. Thus, elongated objects with a longitudinal axis, for example ampoules, phials, pens or disposable syringes, can be easily deposited in axis-parallel arrangement onto a base portion of the packing body in horizontal position. The hinged lid, for its part, ensures that the elongated objects can be extracted from the packing body by a user in an approximately axial direction. In the removal position, i.e. with the hinged lid swung out, the folding box has a pocket-shaped receptacle connected to the hinged lid. In the closed position, i.e. with the hinged lid swung in or closed, the hinged lid and the pocket-shaped receptacle form the cuboid packing body. In order to allow easy extraction of the objects from the receptacle, at least the ends of the elongated objects should protrude from the receptacle. Hinged lids of this type are known, for example, from conventional cigarette boxes, and are in common use (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,137,148). A prismatic hinged lid can have an end wall, and a rear wall which preferably adjoins the end wall approximately at a right angle, a front wall and two side walls, the rear wall of the hinged lid forming a part of the lid.

Such a packing is particularly user-friendly if the hinged lid can be swung out by at least 90°, preferably by at least 180°.

In the packing body there may be disposed a packing insert for receiving the pack products and for supporting and securing the hinged lid in the closed position, the packing body being at least partially exposable by opening of the hinged lid. The packing is distinguished by a sufficiently high stability. The packing insert additionally ensures that it is difficult to open the hinged lid by accident.

The packing insert can be a corrugated part, the wave troughs of which open towards the lid. The wave troughs here serve for the horizontal reception of elongated objects. The wave troughs can be made approximately rectangular, trapezoidal or sinusoidal in cross section, according to the shaping of the object. The wave troughs are separated from one another by supporting elements. These supporting elements can form hollow bodies of triangular or prismatic cross section. An advantageous filling with pack products is thus possible. A corrugated part of this kind can easily be formed from a single blank.

It is particularly advantageous if the packing insert is glued in the packing body. The gluing is preferably realized in the region of the contact surface between the base portion of the packing body and the packing insert. This embodiment is distinguished by a particularly high stability.

The packing insert can have, in the closed position, at least one supporting wall portion extending parallel to the lid, which supporting wall portion can be exposed by the hinged lid. The stability of the folding box can thereby be increased once again.

The packing insert can have a tuck-in arrangement, by means of which the hinged lid can be mechanically reclosed. For this purpose, a lug can be disposed approximately in the middle of the packing insert. This has the advantage that the hinged lid is supported on each side by the lug and is thus protected against being accidentally pressed in. It is further conceivable for the packing insert to have a tuck-in opening, and for the hinged lid to have a thereto corresponding tuck-in tongue for the reclosing of the hinged lid.

The packing body can have a base portion and side walls adjoining the base portion approximately at a right angle, two mutually opposite side walls being respectively adjoined by a holding tab, which, for the creation of a closed box, is fixedly connected to the lid. The packing body can be configured as a folding box. It can be advantageous if this is formed from a single blank. It is particularly advantageous if the packing insert, too, is formed from a single blank. For the formation of the packing, essentially only two blanks would therefore be necessary.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a method for producing and filling packings with ampoules, phials or other elongated objects having a longitudinal axis. For this purpose, on a box blank provided for the previously described packing body, predetermined tear lines, for example perforation lines, are made for the formation of a hinged lid. From the box blank, a cuboid packing body is then erected, the objects are deposited in axis-parallel arrangement onto the base portion into the open packing body, and then the packing body is permanently closed with the lid. This is advantageously done with the aid of adhesive. A box for ampoules, distinguished by a high user-friendliness, is thus able to be rationally produced.

Prior to the depositing of the objects, a packing insert for receiving pack products and for supporting and securing the hinged lid is deposited onto the base portion of the packing body.

Further individual features and advantages of the invention emerge from the following description of the illustrative embodiments and from the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective representation of a packing according to the invention in the filling position,

FIG. 2 shows an explosive representation of the packing according to FIG. 1, having a packing body and a packing insert,

FIG. 3 shows a perspective representation of the packing according to FIG. 1 in the removal position,

FIG. 4 shows a side view of the packing according to FIG. 1 in the removal position,

FIG. 5 shows a blank for the packing body for the folding box according to FIG. 1,

FIG. 6 shows a cross section through the packing according to FIG. 1,

FIG. 7 shows a blank for the packing insert according to FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 shows a blank for a packing insert according to an alternative embodiment,

FIG. 8 a shows a top view of a packing having a packing insert according to the blank of FIG. 8,

FIG. 9 shows a blank for a packing insert according to a further embodiment.

FIG. 1 shows a packing denoted by 1, into which pack products 2 can be packed. In the filling position which is shown here, the packing has a cuboid packing body 6 having a planar lid 3 which is folded about a side edge 12. A packing body 6 of this type is particularly well suited for elongated objects having a longitudinal axis A. Elongated objects 2 such as, for instance, ampoules (or phials) can be easily deposited, over the base area of the packing, in axis-parallel arrangement onto the base portion 14 of the packing body 6. Naturally, differently shaped objects can also be packed. For the positioning of the objects 2, a corrugated packing insert 21 is provided.

In FIG. 2, the packing insert 21 is not yet installed in the packing body 6. As can be seen, the packing insert 21 has wave troughs 23 of approximately trapezoidal cross section for receiving the elongated objects. These are respectively interrupted by supporting elements 24 of triangular cross section, configured as hollow bodies.

The packing body 6 has holding tabs 16, which adjoin the side walls 15. For the creation of a closed box following filling with the pack products, the lid 3 is fixedly connected to the holding tabs 16 by gluing. On the lid 3 there is additionally provided a tuck-in flap 27, which can be inserted in the region of the front end wall of the packing body 6. In the closed position, the lid 3 would therefore extend over the whole of the base area of the packing body.

Next, in FIG. 2, dashed lines 18 and 19 can be seen in the packing body 6. These lines define or delimit a hinged lid (see the following figures in this regard) and can be configured as predetermined tear lines. As predetermined tear line, a perforation line, for example, could be provided. Following rupturing of the perforation, a hinged lid could thus be swung open. However, the lines 18 and 19 do not necessarily have to be fully configured as predetermined tear lines. It is thus conceivable for only the dashed line 18 disposed in the base portion to be configured as a predetermined tear line and for the dashed lines 19 disposed in the side walls 15 to be configured as incisions (or vice versa).

FIG. 3 shows the packing 1 having a hinged lid denoted by 4, which is partially opened. This hinged lid 4 enables the ampoules 2 or other elongated objects to be extracted from the approximately pocket-shaped receptacle 5 in the axial direction. Naturally, the hinged lid according to FIG. 3 would advantageously need to be swung out still further in order to create a removal position. For this purpose, the hinged lid 4 should be able to be swung out by at least 90°, preferably by at least 180°.

The hinged lid 4 is configured as a prismatic hollow body and has an end wall 8 and, respectively, a rear wall 7 adjoining the end wall approximately at a right angle, a front wall 9 and two side walls 10. This approximately cuboidal hinged lid 4 is connected by an articulated fold 11 to the pocket-shaped receptacle 5, which together form the packing body 6.

As is evident from FIG. 3 (and FIG. 4), the opened hinged lid 4 partially exposes the packing insert 21. The latter—apart from its function for the reception of pack products—also serves, in particular, to support and secure the hinged lid in the closed position. For this purpose, the packing insert 21 has a supporting wall portion 25 running parallel to the lid 3.

FIG. 4 shows, once again, the packing from a different perspective. As can be seen, the pack products are concealed from the side by the packing insert 21. For the securement of the closed position, a tuck-in tongue 26 is disposed on the hinged lid 4. Naturally, such tuck-in tongues could also be relinquished, however, as is customary, for example, with cigarette boxes. In this case, the hinged lid would be secured in the closed position solely by means of the packing insert 21.

FIG. 5 shows a blank, denoted by 22, for the previously described packing body 6 configured as a folding box. Such a blank can be made, for example, of cardboard or a cardboard laminate. The blank is punched out or cut out using appropriate tools. The dash-dot lines represented in FIG. 5 correspond to fold lines. Perforation lines for predetermined tear lines are shown in dashed representation. The blank 22 contains a base portion 14, which is adjoined by an end wall 8. Via an articulated fold 12, this end wall 8 is adjoined by the lid 3. The lid 3 here essentially comprises a first lid wall portion 13 and a second lid wall portion 7, which are mutually separated by a fold line 11.

The hinged lid is formed from the following components: front wall 9, 2 side walls 10, end wall 8 and rear wall 7. The rear wall of the hinged lid here corresponds to the aforementioned second lid wall portion of the lid 3. The front wall 9 for the hinged lid is located in the base portion 14 and is delimited by the predetermined tear line 18. The predetermined tear line 18 is adjoined on each side by the predetermined tear lines 19 in the side wall 15, which define the side walls 10 of the hinged lid. The end walls 8 and 32 are adjoined by tabs 29. These serve to connect the end walls to the side walls 15 after the erection process. Corresponding glued surfaces are indicated by a shading.

FIG. 6 shows the packing 1 in cross section. From this, the corrugated configuration of the packing insert 21 is clearly discernible. The packing insert 21 is advantageously fixedly connected to the base portion. Corresponding glued surfaces 33 are represented in FIG. 6. In addition, the lid 3 is also advantageously connected to the holding tabs 16 of the packing body 6 by gluing.

FIG. 7 shows a blank 31 for the previously described packing insert 21. Such a blank can be made, for example, from cardboard or a cardboard laminate. Dashed or dash-dot lines are used to indicate folded edges. These can be grooved, scored and/or perforated. For the creation of an acute-angled triangle edge for a corrugated body 24 (cf. FIG. 6), the lines provided for this purpose are advantageously scored (scored lines 34). In order to enable an easier removal of the pack products in the removal position, a cutout 28 is provided in the region of the front edge. The corrugated configuration for the packing insert according to FIG. 6 can be easily produced by folding together.

FIG. 8 shows a blank 31 having a tuck-in arrangement, by means of which a hinged lid can be (mechanically) reclosed. For this purpose, a centrally arranged lug 35 is disposed in the region of the cutout 28. This lug is essentially defined by two relatively short incisions 36, which run parallel to the lines (shown in dashed representation) for the folded edges. As is shown by the packing 1 in the closed position according to FIG. 8 a, the hinged lid 9 tucked into the lug 35 is relatively well secured. A further advantage of this arrangement is that the front wall 9 of the hinged lid 4, as can be seen, is supported almost over the entire width. In particular, this is also supported on each side of the incisions 36 in the lug 35, whereby an accidental pressing-in of the front side wall 9 is intended to be prevented.

FIG. 8 and 8 a show that a packing insert does not necessarily have to be a corrugated part. Naturally, a tuck-in arrangement comprising a lug 35 in the style of FIGS. 8/8 a can also be provided, however, in a corrugated part. Just such a blank 31 is shown by FIG. 9. The blank 31 is otherwise basically constructed like the blank according to FIG. 7. 

1. Packing made of cardboard or of cardboard laminate, for receiving pack products (2), especially ampoules, phials or other elongated objects having a longitudinal axis (A), comprising a cuboid packing body (6), in particular a folding box, the packing body having, for filling with the pack products (2), a planar lid (3), which can be swung out about a side edge (12) and which extends over an entire of the base area of the packing body and can be permanently sealed after the filling, characterized in that, for the removal of the pack products (2), the packing body has a hinged lid (4), which is delimited by a predetermined tear line (18, 19), can be resealed after the initial opening, is prismatic in configuration and, in particular, is cuboid in configuration, and which can be swung out about an articulated fold (11) disposed in the lid (3).
 2. Packing according to claim 1, characterized in that the hinged lid (4) can be swung out by at least 90°, preferably by at least 180°.
 3. Packing according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that in the packing body (6) there is disposed a packing insert (21) for receiving the pack products (2) and for supporting and securing the hinged lid (4) in the closed position, the packing body (6) being at least partially exposable by opening of the hinged lid (4).
 4. Packing according to claim 3, characterized in that the packing insert (21) is a corrugated part, the wave troughs (23) of which open towards the lid (3).
 5. Packing according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the packing insert (21) is glued in the packing body (6).
 6. Packing according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the packing insert (21) has, in the closed position, at least one supporting wall portion (25) extending parallel to the lid (3), which supporting wall portion can be exposed by the hinged lid (4).
 7. Packing according to one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that the packing insert (21) has a tuck-in opening, and the hinged lid (4) has a tuck-in tongue (26) for the reclosing of the hinged lid (4).
 8. Packing according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the packing body (6) has a base portion (14) and side walls adjoining the base portion (14) approximately at a right angle, two mutually opposite side walls (15) being respectively adjoined by a holding tab (16), which, for the creation of a closed box, fixedly connects the lid (3) to the adjacent holding tabs (16) by gluing.
 9. Packing (1) according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the packing body (6) is formed from a single blank (22).
 10. Method for producing and filling packings with ampoules, phials or other elongated objects having a longitudinal axis (A) according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that on a box blank (22) predetermined tear lines (18, 19) are made for the formation of a hinged lid (4), from the box blank a cuboid packing body (6) is erected, the objects are deposited in axis-parallel arrangement onto the base portion (14) into the open packing body, and the hollow body (6) is sealed with the lid (3). 